COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is encouraging Ohio fifth graders and their teachers to participate in the 2018 National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Missing Person Unit is accepting entries for the contest.

The contest, whose theme is “Bring Our Missing Children Home,” is sponsored nationally by the United States Department of Justice. The contest is designed to help raise awareness about child safety, showcase America’s efforts to bring missing children home safely, and highlight the importance of preemptive education programs.

Fifth graders across the state are eligible to submit a poster to the Attorney General’s Office that incorporates the contest theme into their artwork. The artwork will be judged on creativity, reflection of the contest theme, and design originality.

The top three posters will be selected by a panel of judges form the AMBER Alert Steering Committee and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The winners, their parents, and teachers will be invited to Columbus to meet with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and receive their awards.

Ohio’s first place winner will then be entered into the national contest, where one nationwide winner will travel to Washington, DC, to participate in the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony.

The deadline to submit posters to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office is Febuary 2, 2018.